Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Drew a Record Attendance

The 2013 Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference was the most successful in the 12-year history of the conference, with Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences making key contributions. Held Feb. 7-10 in Washington, D.C., the 2013 conference drew a record 550 participants, 60 percent of whom were students.

In addition to being one of 25 supporters and providing two scholarships for students, Computing Sciences staff contributed to the organization of the conference.

Elizabeth Bautista, leader of NERSC's Operational Technology Group, served as program chair for Panels and Birds-of-a-Feather sessions, evaluation proposals and selecting the most appropriate ones.

Tony Drummond of CRD's Scientific Computing Group was again the Student Research Posters chair, reviewing more than 175 submissions and organizing an evening session featuring the top 60 student posters. He also recruited judges and awarded prizes for the top graduate and undergrad posters.

Jeff Todd, the HR recruiter for Computing Sciences, helped with social media in support of Tapia 2013. During the conference, he staffed a Berkeley Lab table and spoke with attendees about job opportunities at the lab.

About Computing Sciences at Berkeley Lab

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Computing Sciences organization provides the computing and networking resources and expertise critical to advancing the Department of Energy's research missions: developing new energy sources, improving energy efficiency, developing new materials and increasing our understanding of ourselves, our world and our universe.

ESnet, the Energy Sciences Network, provides the high-bandwidth, reliable connections that link scientists at 40 DOE research sites to each other and to experimental facilities and supercomputing centers around the country. The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) powers the discoveries of 6,000 scientists at national laboratories and universities, including those at Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division (CRD). CRD conducts research and development in mathematical modeling and simulation, algorithm design, data storage, management and analysis, computer system architecture and high-performance software implementation. NERSC and ESnet are DOE Office of Science User Facilities.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the DOE’s Office of Science.

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.